Thinking about Mozambique

I've applied to go on a missions trip to Mozambique, a country I had barely heard of a couple of years ago. In any country, the street people are the poorest people there are. In Mozambique, an exceptionally poor country, the street people are even poorer. And the street children are the poorest of the poor.

The orphanage ministers to the street children in Mozambique. In the middle of poverty, the director sees God come through with not only love and presence, but also with miracles. I want to see that myself -- not just the miracles, but the whole mindset of ministering when there is no resource other than God himself.

So I want to go to Mozambique. I hope that this desire is actually a call from God, because if it is not inspired by God it is kind of irrational. It's a remarkably expensive way to be really uncomfortable. I bounce back and forth between really really wanting to go, and having a secret fear that this is just a strange symptom of mid-life crisis.

Anyway, I sent in my application (not to mention the non-refundable $500 deposit), and asked my boss for the time off. She was trying hard to be restrained, but clearly is afraid that lunacy has set in. She's worried about my returning home safely, so in the effort to problem-solve, she suggested that I tell Human Resources where I'm going. I'm not sure what she thinks they will do to help, but it was the only vaguely constructive solution she could think of.